The present invention generally relates to a feeder system to provide feed aggregate to animals and birds. More particularly, the present invention relates to a multi-station gravitational static feeder that efficiently distributes feed aggregate to animals and birds. A system in accordance with the present invention continuously distributes feed aggregate that is easily accessible and also limits the amount of feed that becomes stagnant or is otherwise wasted.
Grain, seed and protein pellet feeders are frequently used by ranchers, hunters and game keepers to provide a consistent supply of feed to animals and birds both domestic and wild. Such feeders can be active, in that they supply a set amount of feed on a timed basis using electric timers to control the feed rate and quantity from a bulk supply, or they can be static. Static feeders typically do not have a control mechanism and present the feed directly from the bulk container for consumption. A typical conventional feeder utilizes a funnel located under a supply hopper that terminates with a round opening for the feed aggregate to escape. A floor, or base, is positioned below the funnel opening and comprises the feed area. The feed aggregate spills through the opening onto the floor base and accumulates upwards in a conical shape until the aggregate restricts the opening and stops further flow of aggregate. As the feed is consumed from the cone stack, the feed cone collapses and frees the opening for additional feed flow until feed refills the base and restricts the opening again.
A major drawback in regard to conventional static feeders is that they do not protect and control the size and shape of the feed cone and housing to optimally present the feed for easy access or consumption. Poor control of the aggregate cone shape, to properly integrate with the surrounding feed station housing, causes build-up of unconsumed, and ultimately stagnant, feed. The stagnant feed is subject to moisture, rot and mold and, thus, will eventually be wasted. Further, conventional feeders do not account for different flow characteristics with respect to various shapes, sizes and textures of feed particulate. This creates a situation, for example when utilizing fine birdseed, where the feed overflows the feed area or platform, also creating waste. Also, larger aggregates, such as protein pellets, create cones that are smaller than the optimal feed area of the feeder and, thus, cannot be easily reached for consumption.
To address the above-mentioned issues, such as spillage and waste due to improper control of the size and shape of the feed cone and feed area, some conventional static feeders include a vertical lip in front of the feed station access opening. However, a lip or depression in the feed cone pocket traps water and other contamination, which causes rapid deterioration of the feed and, thus, also causes waste.
In accordance with the present invention, by controlling the shape and/or geometry of the cone stack, various types, sizes and weights of particulate feeds can be placed in the optimum position within the feeder for animal or bird consumption and also replenish the feed pocket as the current feed is consumed. According to one embodiment of the invention, this is accomplished by providing two vacuum-molded plastic base components.
According to one embodiment, the first of the two base components is a structural base designed to distribute the weight of the feed in the storage hopper and transfer it to the base of a primary container. The structural base also forms an enclosure around the feed cone to optimize the shape of the cone, eliminate xe2x80x9cdeadxe2x80x9d zones and move the feed to the desired position for consumption. By forming a specifically shaped housing closed on all sides of the food cone, except the access opening of each feed station, the feed does not scatter, and is protected from rain, snow, etc., as well as from other forms of contamination. The additional friction on the feed particulate caused by the walls of the housing help control the feed flow so a depression or lip is not necessary on the floor in front of the access opening. This assures that no water or contamination will be retained in the feed area.
The second vacuum molded base component according to this embodiment is a single piece having a desired number of feed funnels and shaped orifices required for each feeder assembly. Each funnel has a smooth blended slope composed of spline curves sloping downward and blending in with the geometry of the shaped opening or orifice at its bottom. The geometry of the funnels and shaped orifice is designed to facilitate a smooth flow of feed particulate to the openings without obstructions. The geometry or shape of the funnel and orifice with its surrounding walls is designed to mate, or fit, within the structural base forming a unified assembly that places the feed particulate in a protected enclosure that is positioned for easy access by animals or birds through the station opening.
Positioning the feed particulate in the optimum accessible position is primarily a function of the orifice location on the funnel in relation to the container access opening. Controlling the shape of the feed particulate cone is a function of the geometry or shape of the orifice or opening and its angle to the base floor, together with the surrounding walls and floor design of the structural base component with which it is mated. It should be noted that shaping the geometry of the orifice or funnel opening will have a general effect on the shape of the particulate cone as a function of the cone height above the base floor. The shaping effect of the orifice opening will diminish with distance and is only effective with short cone lengths.